KALAMAZOO, MI -- P.J. Fleck became a head football coach in December when he was hired by Western Michigan University.

Fleck will patrol the sidelines in Spartan Stadium on Friday when WMU faces Michigan State for the first time as a head coach after several stops in college and the NFL as an assistant coach.

The 32-year-old coach, who still sprints around practice in cleats, joked about all the differences between the player's perspective and the head coach's point of view when preparing to face a major opponent.

Fleck said Michigan State, which returns many pieces on a defense that was fourth in the country last season, deserves to be the overwhelming favorite.

"It is what it is. They deserve it," Fleck said. "They are a heck of a football team. You look at their defense, and I’ve said it publicly, I think they are one of the best defenses I’ve seen in collegiate football. They’re experienced, they’re older, they’re talented, they’re well-coached, they play their tail ends off, they play with the how that we want to play with and you look offensively and they run the football.

"They have a ton of elite coaches. Coach Mark Dantonio has done a tremendous job making Michigan State what it is. He deserves all the credit. I’ve been here seven months. I took over a program that was 4-8. We’ve lost some players to injury. I don’t see it any other way in terms of the way you look at it beforehand from a fan’s point of view, but that’s why you play the game. You don’t get credit for a win or loss before you play."

WMU's players, some of which donned the brown ghost Bronco logo on their helmets that will be worn Friday, appeared to have a little extra pep in their step during Monday's 9 p.m. practice.